Week Twenty

written October 21st, 2015

Onto the countdown!  Twenty weeks down, Twenty to go!

Survey:

1. How big is baby this week? A banana.  I hate the fruit this week, because a mango seems so much more substantial than a banana, but I guess this week the measurements shift from head to butt (crown to rump if you prefer) to head to foot, in which case a banana is a more accurate length comparison.  I would prefer to think that she is the size of a very large mango this week.  
2. Weight Gain? Nine pounds.  
3. Do you feel that it is a boy or girl?  It’s a GIRL!
4. Are you wearing maternity clothes yet? Indeed.
5. Do your wedding rings still fit? Yep!
6. Weird cravings this week? No
7. What do you miss most? Wine 
8. Movement? Plenty this kid loves music!
9. Sleep? There’s still a small toddler in my bed kicking me in the face.  Every night.
10. How are you feeling?  Happy to be counting down to the end when I can meet my baby girl.
11. Things I cried about this week.  When Costco didn’t have any bubbles and neither did Publix or Kroger.  We need bubbles in the house year around not just in the summer!
12. Best Moment this week. Seeing little lady TWICE this week on the ultrasounds.

When I was pregnant with Ike, I had three different ultrasounds between weeks 12 and 13 to try to get the measurement for the nuchal scan.  It never happened, he would never turn the right way or move his hand, or keep still enough.  Eventually the doctor explained to me that this test had an accuracy of about 75% for detecting chromosomal disease.  Who can make a decision base on 75% accuracy?  This math nerd can not, 25% is a considerable amount, 75% is a C- for pete’s sake!  I declined another attempt to measure, because a 25% margin of error is not going to determine the future of  my family.   But I digress. I didn’t concern myself with it very much after the test failed to be completed, again because 75%?!

Baby Girl had the blood test genetic screening accomplished, which told us incredibly early with 99% accuracy (that would be an A+ for those for whom grades matter greatly), that she was free of any genetic abnormalities.  It also confirmed her sex way super early so that was an added bonus.  She was perfectly healthy according to the blood.  But I was still very excited/anxious about the anatomy ultrasound this week.  I enjoyed the extra long viewing of her kicking, and sucking her fingers, and yawing (OMG!).  But, no unlike her brother, she became difficult and unwilling to display what was needed to ensure she was developing well.  Shocking.  The doctor ordered a second ultrasound to get a better view of her spine and heart.  Beyond a few minutes of anxiety that afternoon, mostly I was excited to have a second peek at her only a few days later.  The second ultrasound confirm everything looked good, and I got a second set of grainy ,black and white photos of my little princess.  Win and win for mommies with stubborn children!